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⚡ On April 16, Ambassador of Mexico to Russia Eduardo Villegas Megias was summoned to the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation, where it was reiterated to him that Russia was highly concerned with the Mexican authorities’ failure to act in the situation involving an underage citizen of Russia, Christina V. Romanova, who is being unlawfully detained by the government authorities at a closed specialised institution.
Considering the official disregard for Moscow’s repeated appeals, Russia has filed a resolute demand on ensuring an immediate consular access to the Russian minor and creating all necessary conditions for her unimpeded return to her homeland.
The Foreign Ministry of Russia, in close cooperation with Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Anna Kuznetsova and Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova, keeps this matter under its permanent control.
🔴 #LIVE: Briefing by Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on topical foreign policy issues
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🏛 A new free display, The Wallace Collection at War, kicks off at the Wallace Collection in London on 15 April.
It explores how art, architecture and propaganda were mobilised in 1942 to reinforce Anglo-Soviet relations at a pivotal moment of the Second World War.
Drawing on newly revisited archives, it reconstructs two landmark exhibitions launched by Soviet Ambassador Ivan Maisky and his wife Agniya — Artists Aid Russia and Twenty-Five Years of Progress — revealing how cultural institutions were drawn into the broader political and humanitarian efforts.
Highlights include wartime posters, WWII-era photographs, and works depicting bombed London, Soviet soldiers and the devastation of conflict.
Visit Wallace Collection and #See4Yourself. The display runs until 25 October 2026.
❗️ Reportedly, on 26 March 2026, the leadership of a number of European countries took a decision to increase production and supply of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Ukraine for launching strikes on Russian territory in the face of growing losses and an acute shortage of manpower in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
▫️ A significant increase in the production of UAVs for the Kiev regime is planned through increased funding for the 'Ukrainian' and 'joint' enterprises producing attack drones and their components located in the territory of the European countries.
▫️ We consider this decision to be a deliberate step leading to a sharp escalation of the military and political situation on the entire European continent and creeping transformation of these countries into a strategic rear for Ukraine.
▫️ The implementation of the scenarios of terrorist attacks against Russia by the alleged Ukrainian UAVs, stated by the Kiev regime, leads to unpredictable consequences.
▫️ Instead of strengthening the security of European states, the moves of European leaders are increasingly dragging these countries into the war with Russia.
❗️ The European public should not only clearly understand the underlying causes of the threats to their safety, but also know the addresses, as well as the location of 'Ukrainian' and 'joint' companies producing UAVs and their components for Ukraine in their countries.
🔹 Russian Defence Ministry
🎙 Statement by Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN Vassily Nebenzia at the UNGA Intergovernmental negotiations on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Council (Veto Right) (New York, April 14, 2026)
💬 It is well known in professional diplomatic circles that the veto mechanism is the cornerstone of the UN’s functioning.
It was introduced as the result of lessons drawn from the practice of the League of Nations. Without this right, the Organization would have inevitably suffered the same fate.
It is difficult to imagine that the UN, particularly during the Cold War or during these turbulent times, could have survived even a single decade if it were not for this balancing mechanism.
☝️ Forcing a limitation of this mechanism is unrealistic. We need to acknowledge this and move on. <...>
It is no secret that Western members of the Council often view UNSC resolutions as a punitive tool against States in disfavor, whatever noble pretexts are used to tout these resolutions.
❗️ Western delegations frequently introduce intrusive, politicized draft resolutions replete with didactic language, whose sole purpose is to advance geopolitical interests of former colonial powers and impose Western models of development on other States.
We cannot allow the UN Security Council to be used for such ignoble, overtly neocolonial purposes. Therefore, we stand ready to use our veto without hesitation when it comes to defending international law and State sovereignty against arbitrary action and pressure, or with the view to restoring justice. <...>
We are convinced that it is not the veto itself that should be criticized, but rather the unwillingness of certain Council members to listen to and take into account the views of others, so as to reach compromise and balanced solutions.
👉 We regularly encounter situations where Western delegations put to a vote draft resolutions that are in no way acceptable, which they know full well in advance.
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🗓 On April 15, Director of the Department of International Organisations of the Russian Foreign Ministry Kirill Logvinov held a briefing for representatives of the embassies of #BRICS member states and partner countries on the upcoming election of the UN Secretary-General.
Kirill Logvinov outlined the criteria Russia applies to candidates for the post of the chief administrative officer of the United Nations.
Particular emphasis was placed on the importance of ensuring that the future Secretary-General strictly observe the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and interconnection, pursue an impartial course, promote a unifying agenda, and counter the dominance of Western officials within the Secretariat.
❗️Otherwise, the UN will be unable to fully restore its effectiveness and standing.
Diplomats from BRICS member states and partner countries confirmed their readiness for close coordination during the upcoming UN Secretary-General election in order to ensure due regard for the legitimate interests of the countries of the Global South and East.
🤝 It was agreed that the “interactive dialogues” with candidates for the post of UN Secretary-General, due to begin at the UN General Assembly on April 21, will provide member states with a good opportunity to voice their expectations.
🇷🇺🇪🇹🚀Addis Ababa Marks the 65th Anniversary of the First Human Spaceflight!
On April 15, 2026, the Russian Embassy in Ethiopia in partnership with the Ethiopian Space Science and Geospatial Institute (SSGI) held a ceremony dedicated to the 65th anniversary of Yu. A. Gagarin's flight. During the event the participants laid flowers at the bust of Yuri Gagarin.
The Ambassador stated that on this day, peoples of the world pay tribute to the legacy of Yuri Gagarin and recognize the bravery and dedication of those who have ventured into space. It inspires future generations to continue pushing the boundaries of human space exploration.
☝️H.E. Evgeny Terekhin pledged Russia's commitment to continue cooperation with Ethiopian Space Science and Geospatial Institute in the field of space science and related areas.
The Ambassador briefed the audience on the latest achievements in the Russian space industry. He also outlined that these advanced achievements were aimed not only at addressing Russia’s domestic socio-economic objectives but also at deepening an equitable dialogue with friendly nations, among which Russia undoubtedly includes Ethiopia.
❗️H.E. Evgeny Terekhin payed special attention that Moscow sees prospects for synergy its efforts with Addis Ababa in multilateral formats, including cooperation between the Russian State Space Corporation (Roscosmos) and the SSGI.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Abdisa Yilma, Director General of the SSGI, congratulated participants of the event on the Cosmonautics Day and noted that today SSGI and Roscosmos are under continuous discussions.
📡Mr. Abdisa Yilma also underlined that the main Ethiopia’s priority is to establish together with the Russian counterparts a local Satellite Assembly, Integration and Testing (AIT) center in Ethiopia.
🎥During the event, a recording of warm congratulations from Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station was broadcasted.
#Gagarin65 #FirstInSpace
🇷🇺🇦🇿 Joint Statement by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan (April 15, 2026)
In accordance with the agreements reached by the Presidents of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan during their meeting in Dushanbe on October 9, 2025, the Parties have agreed on an appropriate settlement of the consequences, including the payment of compensation, relating to the crash of the Embraer 190 aircraft belonging to AZAL near Aktau on December 25, 2024. The crash resulted from an unintentional strike by an air defence system in the airspace of the Russian Federation.
These steps reaffirm our shared commitment to further developing mutually beneficial cooperation within the framework of our allied partnership.
We express our confidence that the progressive development of Russian-Azerbaijani relations, based on mutual respect, trust, and regard for each other’s interests, will continue to strengthen our neighbourly ties and broaden cooperation for the benefit of both nations.
❗️ We once again offer our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the aircraft crash, and we share the pain of this irreparable loss with all those affected by this tragedy.
Government of the Russian Federation:
🇷🇺🇹🇭 On April 13, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev had a meeting with Thailand’s Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Suriya Jungrungreangkit.
“Thailand is Russia’s oldest partner in Southeast Asia. In 2027, our diplomatic relations will mark their 130th anniversary.
I hope we will continue to maintain an active political dialogue and trade and economic cooperation across all areas. I trust that today’s meeting will give an additional boost to the development of bilateral cooperation”.
– Dmitry Patrushev
🔴 #LIVE: Remarks and answers to media questions by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov following his visit to China
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⚡️ Russia's Agency for Strategic Initiatives:
Today, April 15, Russia is launching a digital service for submitting applications from foreigners who want to live and work in the country — TimeToLiveInRussia
The new programme is overseen by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, with the Autonomous Nonprofit Organization “Agency for Attracting Foreign Talent to Russia” acting as the operator.
❗️ Highly qualified specialists from other countries can apply for recognition as individuals of interest to Russia on the “Time to Live in Russia” website.
The new structure operates as a one-stop shop. It reviews applications, verifies whether a foreign applicant meets the program’s criteria, and provides support throughout the relocation process.
The key requirement is having in-demand skills and expertise, as well as respect for traditional Russian values.
✍️ From Presidential Decree No. 883 of December 2, 2025:
It is established that foreign citizens and stateless persons (hereinafter also referred to as foreign citizens) may, starting from April 15, 2026, submit a request to be recognized as persons of interest to the Russian Federation if they:
a) have achievements in science and technology, industry, sports, creative industries, the cultural and humanitarian sphere, or education;
b) have contributed to the development of society, the economy, or to strengthening the defense capability and security of the Russian Federation;
c) possess highly sought-after professions (specialties), qualifications, or skills.
🇷🇺🇧🇩 Russian Embassy in Bangladesh:
🗓️ On April 12, a ceremony was held at the National Museum of Science and Technology to unveil a bust of Yuri Gagarin, the first cosmonaut and Hero of the Soviet Union, to mark the 65th anniversary of the first human spaceflight. The event was organised with the support of the Russian House in Dhaka and the National Museum of Science and Technology of Bangladesh.
The ceremony was officially commenced by Alexandra Khlevnoy, Director of the Russian House in Dhaka. In her inaugural address, the Director articulated the exploration of space as a unifying force that transcends geographical and linguistic boundaries, underscoring that the installation of the monument serves as a testament to the enduring friendship between Russia and Bangladesh.
The Ambassador of Russian Federation to Bangladesh, Alexander Khozin, emphasised the profound implications of this event for the entire global community, underscoring the pivotal contributions of Soviet and Russian science to the exploration of space, and extolling the courage of Yuri Gagarin. He articulated his aspiration for the imminent and inaugural spaceflight of a Bangladeshi citizen, expressing his hope for this momentous occasion.
The Chairman of the Russian Society of Friendship with Bangladesh, Sattar Mia, was the speaker at the event. In his speech, he emphasised the increasingly significant role of scientific and technical cooperation between Russia and Bangladesh.
Schoolchildren from the Embassy's school in Dhaka participated in the ceremony, with several delivering short scientific research on space-related topics. They recited poems and sang the song 'Grass Near the House', which has great significance in the field of cosmonautics. The event was further enhanced by an exhibition of entries from the children's drawing competition.
The inauguration of the bust was also attended by the museum's director Munira Sultana and the Chairman of the Bangladesh Astronomical Association, Moshurul Amin, who emphasised the significance of the monument's installation for the youth of Bangladesh.
🔴 #LIVE: Briefing by the Roscongress Foundation featuring the presentation of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum, the International Tourism Forum "Let’s Travel!", and the International United Cultures Forum
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#KievRegimeCrimes
⚡️ Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rodion Miroshnik:
💬 ⚡️ During Holy Week, in the lead-up to Easter – the most important Orthodox holiday – Ukrainian militants killed 29 civilians, including three children. Nearly 200 civilians were injured during the same period, among them 12 children.
Ukrainian militants carried out a whole series of attacks against civilians, including the killing of a family with a 12-year-old child in the Vladimir Region, a strike on a school in the Zaporozhye Region, and an attack on paramedics in the Belgorod Region, which left three ambulance workers wounded.
❗️ There were casualties even during the Easter truce. Ukrainian armed formations violated the temporary ceasefire no fewer than 6,558 times, continuing strikes on both Russian positions and civilian facilities in Russia’s regions.
On April 6-12, 199 civilians suffered from shelling by Ukrainian Nazis: 170 were wounded, including 12 minors, while 29 people, including three minors, were killed. In total, Ukrainian militants fired no fewer than 2,892 munitions at civilian targets on Russian territory.
🇷🇺🇹🇷📞 On April 13, Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of Türkiye Hakan Fidan had a telephone conversation.
The Ministers discussed ways to help resolve the crisis triggered by the unprovoked US and Israeli attack on Iran. Moscow and Ankara reaffirmed their readiness to contribute to efforts aimed at a peaceful settlement.
Hakan Fidan also touched upon the latest developments around Ukraine and the prospects for resuming the trilateral negotiating process involving the US, confirming Türkiye’s readiness to provide the Istanbul platform for that purpose.
Sergey Lavrov, in turn, shared Russia’s assessments of the actions and statements of the Kiev regime at the current stage.
#RussiaTürkiye
#Victory81
🌟 On April 16, 1945, the Berlin Offensive — one of the Red Army’s key strategic operations during World War II — commenced.
The operation resulted in the complete defeat of the enemy’s Berlin group of forces and, with Hitler’s war machine being completely crushed. The Soviet forces took the capital of the Third Reich — #Berlin. The Instrument of Unconditional Surrender of Nazi Germany was signed — the document that heralded the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War.
By spring 1945, the Red Army successfully carried out a series of offensive operations aimed at liberating the countries and peoples of Central and Eastern Europe from the Nazi invaders. Hitler’s troops and their henchmen were expelled from Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary, and Poland; Vienna and the capital of modern Slovakia, Bratislava, saved from the Nazi plague.
Nevertheless, #WWII was far from end. The final battle for the liberation of Europe from the Nazi plague, the Battle of Berlin, was coming.
By mid-April, 1945, the Soviet forces — having liberated Poland from the Nazis — consolidated positions along the Oder and Neisse rivers and started preparations to launch the offensive on Berlin. Mere dozens of kilometres separated the Red Army from the capital of Hitler’s Germany. The enemy installed deeply echeloned defences and deployed elite Wehrmacht units against the Soviet forces.
To attack Berlin, the Soviet Supreme High Command deployed forces from the 1st Belorussian Front (commanded by Marshal Georgy Zhukov); the 2nd Belorussian Front (Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky); and the 1st Ukrainian Front (Marshal Ivan Konev).
⚔️ The Berlin Offensive began at 5:00 AM on April 16 with a massive artillery fire. Following this, 143 powerful spotlights were activated to blind and disorient the enemy. Infantry and armoured units then launched their assault.
Enemy resistance intensified as Soviet forces advanced. Fierce fighting erupted at the Seelow Heights — a critical defensive point just 60 kilometres away from Berlin — where the Wehrmacht’s 9th Army, blocking the direct route to the Reich’s capital, was destroyed.
Within several days, the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian Fronts breached the Oder-Neisse defensive line of the Nazis, advanced 30 kilometres towards Berlin, and started encircling the city to destroy its garrison.
• April 20: Red Army units reached Berlin. Soviet long-range artillery started shelling, with brutal tank battles erupting on the city’s outskirts.
• April 25: The 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian Fronts linked up west of the city, completing the encirclement of the enemy’s Berlin group of Nazi troops.
• April 29: Fierce fighting started in the heart of Berlin, where Germany’s highest governmental and military authorities were located.
• During the storming of the Reichstag on the night of April 30 - May 1, the legendary #VictoryBanner was raised — a symbol of the Soviet Union’s triumph over Nazism.
• May 2: Berlin’s garrison surrendered. By May 5, the Nazi resistance was crushed. A total of 134'000 German soldiers and officers were captured.
✍️ On the night of May 8–9, Marshal Zhukov and the Allied representatives accepted Germany’s unconditional surrender at Karlshorst.
World War II on the European theatre of operations had ended.
The Berlin Operation saw the Red Army not only crush the last major and most elite Wehrmacht force but also liberate approximately 200'000 prisoners from Nazi concentration camps within the combat zone. Over 600 Soviet soldiers were awarded the title #HeroOftheSovietUnion for their valour.
April 15 marked Universal Day of Culture
On this day in 1935, Washington, D.C. saw the signing of the first-ever international treaty “On the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historic Monuments,” better known as the Roerich Pact or Pax Cultura (“Peace through Culture”).
The idea of protecting cultural heritage in both peacetime and wartime was proposed by Russian artist, scholar, and philosopher Nicholas Roerich. The Pact bearing his name became the only agreement in the field of cultural protection adopted by part of the international community before World War II.
Within the framework of the treaty, a distinctive flag was approved to identify protected sites, which gained worldwide recognition as the Banner of Peace – a white field bearing three amaranth circles touching one another. According to Roerich, this symbol represents the past, present, and future within the circle of Eternity, or the unity of art, science, and religion within the ring of Culture.
Temples, museums, cathedrals, universities, libraries, and other cultural institutions displaying the Banner of Peace were to be regarded by all parties to the agreement as internationally neutral territory.
The Roerich Pact became a somewhat of an ideological foundation of #UNESCO, laying the groundwork for the Organization’s core principle of promoting peace through culture, and played a key role in the development of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
🇷🇺 Today, 34 sites located in Russia are included in UNESCO’s World Cultural and Natural Heritage List.
🇷🇺🇸🇦📞 On April 15, Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud had a telephone conversation.
The Ministers exchanged views on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Israeli attack on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory steps.
They reaffirmed the need for an immediate end to all hostile actions affecting the littoral states of the Persian Gulf, especially where civilian infrastructure is concerned.
Both Sides also stressed the importance of continuing US-Iran political and diplomatic efforts mediated by Pakistan.
Sergey Lavrov and Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud further spoke in favour of a dialogue involving all interested parties to agree on terms that would ensure long-term stability and security on the basis of a balance of interests of all countries in the region.
☝️ Russia and Saudi Arabia stand ready to contribute to organising such a dialogue.
#RussiaSaudiArabia
🎙 R.Alyautdinov, Permanent Representative of Russia to UNESCO in response to Ukraine at 224 session of Executive Board:
📌 Representative of Ukraine once again sought to use platform of Executive Board to settle geopolitical scores, thereby introducing confrontation and diverting attention from priority agenda items
❗️ We categorically reject ungrounded allegations. Attempts to defame Russia by accusing it of damaging cultural institutions in Ukraine are ungrounded. Our Armed Forces conduct precision strikes exclusively against military targets, following verification and confirmation of information. By contrast, Ukrainian security forces employ terrorist tactics, deploy weaponry in populated areas, deliberately target Russian educational and cultural institutions, kill journalists
👉Detailed information regarding violations by Kiev in areas within UNESCO’s mandate has been repeatedly conveyed to Member States through diplomatic channels
🎙 Statement and answers to media questions by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov following his visit to the People’s Republic of China (Beijing, April 15, 2026)
Key points:
• Russia and China are interested in ensuring that the West’s overt attempts to preserve and, in some cases, even “renew” its hegemony fail. These efforts are rooted in the assumption that the West’s five-hundred-year experience of conquering the world, subordinating it to its own interests and shaping mechanisms of global governance that allow it to live at others’ expense can somehow be sustained.
• We devoted particular attention to Eurasia, where new centres of tension are continuing to emerge. In Europe, this is reflected in NATO’s attempts to find a new reason for its existence, above all by drawing Ukraine into its ranks. It is also evident in the militarisation of the EU, which we are witnessing against the backdrop of crises within NATO caused by disagreements between Washington and the European capitals, above all – the Brussels bureaucracy.
• Our entire Eurasian continent, in one way or another, has become an arena for serious and competing trends and practical actions by leading members of the international community. It is the largest and wealthiest continent, with resources that are essentially inexhaustible. That is why both the geopolitical and geoeconomic dimensions are of particular importance here.
• I agree with the description of #RussiaChina relations as “unshakable in the face of any storm”. This is not merely a slogan, but a statement of fact already borne out by a whole range of developments in which Russia and China are playing a stabilising role in support of those trends – enshrined in the UN Charter – that are now striving to prevail in international affairs.
• Russia can help offset the supply deficit now faced by both China and other countries interested in working with us on an equal and mutually beneficial basis. 👉 We have said this on a number of occasions. It is no coincidence that, now that the crisis in the Middle East has erupted, EU officials are already publicly calling on the European Commission to “show mercy” toward the national sovereignty of EU member states and postpone plans to shut off the “valve” completely.
• Europe is starting to realise that, if it gets off what it calls the Russian “oil and gas needle”, it may well end up impaled on the “energy stake” of another great power – one already being carefully sharpened for Europe. It is a pivotal moment.
• One must always look at the root causes. Would Iran have taken any steps to close the Strait of Hormuz or strike US facilities on the Arabian Peninsula had it not been for the aggression of Washington and Israel against the Islamic Republic? Everyone understands that this would not have happened.
• In Kosovo, the West demonstrated that the law simply does not apply to it – only the part which happens to suit it at a given moment. At that time, what suited the West was the provision of the UN Charter stating that nations are equal and that every nation has the right to self-determination. But when the question is raised about the right of the people of Crimea and Novorossiya to self-determination, the West ducks the issue.
• Unlike the EU, we are interested in seeing unifying infrastructure take shape in the Balkans in every sense – economic as well as cultural. The same goal – to unite and maximise benefits for all – is pursued by China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which is also highly popular in the Balkans and being actively advanced there.
• I hope that the US will not return to the era of outright colonial wars and the suppression of free peoples. It was not Cuba that refused dialogue with Washington for decades.
• I would advise the US, in every case where it dislikes a particular government, to begin by engaging it in dialogue. Not a single country, including Venezuela, has ever refused dialogue with the US. It was the US, however, that first made agreements and then walked away from them.
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🇷🇺🇻🇳 On April 13, a delegation of the Federal Service of National Guard Troops of Russia (Rosgvardiya) led by its Director, Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation, Army General Viktor Zolotov paid an official visit to Vietnam.
✍️ On April 13, Viktor Zolotov and Vietnam’s Minister of Public Security, Army General Luong Tam Quang, signed a Joint Action Programme for 2026-2028 between Rosgvardiya and the Ministry of Public Security of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
The document provides for stronger cooperation in such areas as law enforcement, the protection of critical state facilities and counterterrorism.
Additionally, the programme provides for an exchange of experience through practical joint activities, including training sessions, drills and exercises, as well as the further development of bilateral ties in personnel training and in the social and cultural spheres.
***
🤝 On April 13, Viktor Zolotov and General Secretary of the Communist Party and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam To Lam held a working meeting.
During the meeting, the Sides exchanged views on current agenda issues, including in the context of global developments affecting the security of both countries.
Particular attention was given to the further expansion of bilateral cooperation in law enforcement and counterterrorism.
At the conclusion of the talks, Viktor Zolotov noted the Vietnamese Leader’s personal contribution to advancing cooperation between the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Public Security of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and stressed that Rosgvardiya remains open to constructive dialogue with its Vietnamese partners.
***
💐 During the visit to Hanoi, Viktor Zolotov honoured the Vietnamese heroic struggle against US invaders at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex on Ba Dinh Square, where Vietnam’s independence was proclaimed in September 1945.
The head of Rosgvardiya laid a wreath at the mausoleum of Vietnam’s first President and also visited the Presidential Palace and Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House.
#RussiaVietnam
🇷🇺🇨🇳 On April 14-15, Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov paid an official visit to China.
During the visit, he was received by President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping and held substantive talks with Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi.
📹 Statement and answers to media questions by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov following his visit to China
President Xi welcomed the Russian Foreign Minister's visit and spoke highly of the unprecedented level of bilateral relations, highlighting the significant results achieved over 30 years of strategic cooperation, grounded in the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation of July 16, 2001, which has successfully guided ties between the two countries for a quarter of a century.
Sergey Lavrov conveyed warm greetings and best wishes to Xi Jinping from President Vladimir Putin, who is preparing to pay an official visit to China in the first half of the year. Russia’s Foreign Minister underscored the guiding role of leader-level diplomacy in steadily advancing Russia-China ties across all areas.
During his talks with Wang Yi, Sergey Lavrov held an in-depth exchange of views on a broad range of bilateral and international issues of mutual interest.
☝️ Particular attention was given to pressing international issues, including the situation around Iran, the Ukraine crisis and developments in Latin America.
The Sides emphasiszed the importance of further strengthening coordination between Moscow and Beijing on the international stage, including at the #UN and its Security Council, the #SCO, #BRICS, #APEC, the #G20 and other multilateral platforms. The Ministers also touched upon issues related to maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and discussed cooperation in the post-Soviet space.
🤝 The talks were held in the friendly, trusting and constructive atmosphere that has come to define Russia-China relations.
#RussiaChina
🎙️Rinat Alyautdinov, Permanent Delegate of Russia to UNESCO, at 224th session of the Executive Board:
📍We draw attention of #UNESCO's leadership to the Kiev regime's attacks on Russian educational and cultural institutions, killing of journalists. We expect proper reaction to these crimes. We also expect condemnation of discrimination against Russian and Russian-speaking people in Ukraine, and infringement of educational and linguistic rights in the Baltic states.
📍We are extremely concerned with the consequences of the US-Israeli aggression against Iran, destruction of cultural and historical heritage sites, including the bombing of the Orthodox St. Nicholas Cathedral in Tehran.
📍We are concerned with the humanitarian situation in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip within UNESCO’s fields of competence
👆Read the full text of the speech.
#unesco
#unescoexecutiveboard
#224ExB
🎙 Opening remarks by Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during talks with President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping:
📍 April 15, 2026, Beijing
💬 Sergey Lavrov: Mr President, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your warm words addressed to us and for this meeting.
It underscores your personal attention to the development of mutually beneficial strategic relations with Russia, as well as to the agenda that will be discussed at the next summit during the upcoming visit of President Vladimir Putin to China.
Yesterday, my colleague and friend Wang Yi and I held very detailed discussions on preparations for this major upcoming visit.
Thanks to the diplomacy of the two Leaders – yourself and Vladimir Putin – our relations continue to demonstrate a high degree of resilience amid the upheavals that have engulfed the modern world both economically and geopolitically. Regrettably, these contradictions are increasingly taking on a military dimension.
Against this backdrop, Russia-China relations, which serve as a stabilizing factor in international affairs, are becoming ever more significant for the rest of the world, for the Global Majority, which seeks not problems or turbulence, but calm conditions for sustainable long-term development. It is in this context that we held detailed discussions and will brief you today on the outcome of our exchange.
Bilateral relations are on the rise in trade, investment, humanitarian affairs, culture and across all other areas. We also discussed regional and international issues, both from the standpoint of future Russia-China coordination on the bilateral track and in terms of our joint work at the #UN, the UN Security Council, the #SCO, #BRICS, the #G20 and #APEC.
As we agreed yesterday, we now have robust roadmaps for further progress across all tracks identified by you and President Vladimir Putin for the period ahead.
#RussiaChina
📸 Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was received by President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping
📍 Beijing, April 15
#RussiaChina
⚡️ Russia's Agency for Strategic Initiatives:
Today, April 15, Russia is launching a digital service for submitting applications from foreigners who want to live and work in the country — TimeToLiveInRussia
The new programme is overseen by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, with the Autonomous Nonprofit Organization “Agency for Attracting Foreign Talent to Russia” acting as the operator.
❗️ Highly qualified specialists from other countries can apply for recognition as individuals of interest to Russia on the “Time to Live in Russia” website.
The new structure operates as a one-stop shop. It reviews applications, verifies whether a foreign applicant meets the program’s criteria, and provides support throughout the relocation process.
The key requirement is having in-demand skills and expertise, as well as respect for traditional Russian values.
✍️ From Presidential Decree No. 883 of December 2, 2025:
It is established that foreign citizens and stateless persons (hereinafter also referred to as foreign citizens) may, starting from April 15, 2026, submit a request to be recognized as persons of interest to the Russian Federation if they:
a) have achievements in science and technology, industry, sports, creative industries, the cultural and humanitarian sphere, or education;
b) have contributed to the development of society, the economy, or to strengthening the defense capability and security of the Russian Federation;
c) possess highly sought-after professions (specialties), qualifications, or skills.
🇷🇺🇨🇳✍️ Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi sign a Plan for bilateral inter-ministerial consultations for 2026
📍 April 14, 2026, Beijing
#RussiaChina
🎙 Opening remarks by Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov during talks with Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi (April 14, 2026, Beijing)
💬 This is our first in-person meeting this year, although we have already had several telephone conversations. They are always substantive and detailed.
I have no doubt that we will have many more opportunities to speak again this year and thus prepare additional decisions ahead of new contacts between our Leaders. These contacts are already scheduled. Today, we will discuss this in detail.
I fully agree that the foundations of international relations are now being put through the most serious trials. One need only look at what happened at the beginning of the year in Latin America, in Venezuela, and at what is happening now in the Middle East.
The Ukrainian crisis, which the West sought to manufacture artificially in order, as it claimed, to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia, is now being used, above all by the Europeans, to begin hatching plans for the creation of a new aggressive bloc in the west of the Eurasian continent, involving the Kiev regime, with the obvious aim of directing this new formation against our country.
In the eastern part of the Eurasian continent, dangerous games are also continuing – both over Taiwan and in the South China Sea, while tensions are being fuelled on the Korean Peninsula.
The same applies to the space which for many years was a place of cooperation and good-neighbourliness – the so-called ASEAN-centred space. Attempts are being made to dismantle it by creating small-group and bloc-based structures with the aim of containing both China and Russia, which also border this most important region and form part of Eurasia.
Our vast continent as a whole requires constant attention. I am confident that today we will be able to discuss in practical terms our concrete steps both in line with the initiatives put forward by the President of China on global security and in other areas, and in line with President Vladimir Putin’s initiative to build a pan-continental Eurasian security architecture.
I believe our meeting is very timely. Thank you for the invitation. I am focused on concrete and productive work.
🇷🇺🇨🇳 #RussiaChina
🇷🇺🇨🇳🤝 Foreign Ministers of Russia & China Sergey Lavrov and Wang Yi commence bilateral talks in Beijing
#RussiaChina
🇷🇺🇦🇪📞 On April 13, Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the UAE Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan had a telephone conversation.
The Foreign Ministers exchanged views on the situation in the Gulf following the recent US-Iran talks in Islamabad.
They spoke in favour of an immediate cessation and non-resumption of all hostilities, as well as continued political and diplomatic efforts to overcome the crisis triggered by the unprovoked US and Israeli attack on Iran.
Both Sides shared the view that any harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure in the countries of the region is unacceptable.
Sergey Lavrov and Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed to remain in contact in order to help identify ways towards a sustainable settlement and the restoration of normal navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and other regional waterways.
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